2012 STUFF

Hey.....it's getting awfully close to fishing season....figure I better do a quick update.... First - I apologize for not updating sooner - but I haven't been entirely quiet. I've posted some stuff to our Facebook page (Branch's Seine River Lodge) as well as our Twitter account (@seineriverlodge). Please "like" or follow" us or whatever. And please post / tweet etc comments, questions etc.

 Well - quickly - 2011 was a great year. Fishing overall was very good. Walleye populations were high and I really think the smallies and lots of huge smallies. Had one guest who has fished the chain for over 20 years say that July 2011 was his overall best for big fish of all species.

 New stuff? Well, crappie are hitting the Atikokan area in a big way. Nice ones too - seen lots 12" - 15" from guys ice fishing. They're about 10 miles upstream right now, and general consensus is that they'll be on the Seine Chain very soon (if not already). Some concern as to the effect they'll have on the walleye, although there seem to be some lakes around that have both good walleye crappie fishing. Many lakes saw smallies overtake 'eyes but we're lucky - they both seem to flourish on our system. Have the Milow group planning to do some crappie fishing in June and will monitor it and, if it seems good (which we believe it will), we will be promoting crappie along with all our other species in 2013!

 New stuff for 2012....Well, we're in the process of renovating all the cabins - some a little freshen up, some (cabin #3) with portions gutted. Every cabin will see at least some new windows. Freshening up the office and seriously looking at starting another new cabin sometime this year. Just bought a bunch of new couches, plus getting a handful of new docks....plus going to be buying some new boats and motors etc etc.

And.....the weather in March has been fantastic! The last few days have been in the mid seventies. The snow is pretty much all gone and the lake is opening up very quickly. If it keeps like this it'll be open by April. We're loving it as it has given us a head start on the yard work etc. BUT - I know that this warm spring and early break up sounds alarms for all you fisher folk out there. Usually, our ice is out the end of April - give or take a day or two. If conditions are fairly normal, spawns happen "on schedule" (for lack of a better term) and fishing - at least through the end of June - is relatively predictable. Then when this happens a wrench is thrown into the whole scenario. Spawns are early and lots of fishermen are not sure what to expect and face the uncertainty of how to fish, where to fish, what to use etc. A lot of people book the same week every years and get a comfort level of what to expect. Anyway - at this point it seems like it will be an early break up - BUT the jury is still out as far as spawns. I've seen very warm springs before - and boldly predicted early spawns, only to see the weather cool down and seem like it will never warm up. One warm spring / early break up year - since spawns are triggered by water temperatures - the spawns wound up being REALLY late and I looked (and felt) like a fool. So - don't panic yet...we still have a bit of time and anything can happen.

 Been an overall milder winter. We did wind up getting quite a bit of snow - likely some of the best snowmobiling conditions around...speaking of which we will be promoting our winter sledding & ice fishing much more. Had a great meeting with Kim Cross from our award winning Atikokan Sno Ho Club last week and looking forward to working with them promoting our world class snowmobiling as well as X Country Skiing and ice fishing. BTW - check out the snowmobiling video on our snowmobiling page to see the awesome trails and scenery this winter:

 http://www.seineriverlodge.com/atikokan-snowmobile-trails-cabin-rentals-for-snowmobiling.htm

 Also - new ways to process fishing licenses this year. The MNR is issuing us a POS machine to process. We'll see how that goes, but one good development is that you can now buy your fishing licenses on line...here's the link:

 https://www1.on.wildlifelicense.com/start.php?lang=1

 Anyway - we're getting ready as I'm sure you all are. It is looking very busy for us this year and we thank you for that. Will post some stuff soon including some of the cabin reno pics....thanks as always to all of our friends for all the help with yard cleanup, rnos and repairs this spring - Richard, Garry, Howie, Darryl, Cora, Darcy....THANKS VERY MUCH!! Talk to ya'll soon!

And so it begins....

Well - actually "began".

Great having a visit with Earl B & Shelley a couple of weeks ago. They did some early May fishing & did well with bass & pike. Earl's thinking of a return in September for any of you who missed him this spring!

The Sproat group is our first in Quetico this year. Dropped the 8 guys off @ Nym Lake a few days ago and we're looking forward to hearing all about their trip next Thursday.

The Hill group is in camp now - the first cabin based anglers of the year. Some great weather earlier this week - beautiful, sunny, highs in the mid to high 70's. Their first day was slow, but they did well with bass the second day - including 3 at 4 lbs+...Further to that, here we are on May 21 and the water temps are ranging from 57 - 65 farenheit!!!Word is the bass are moving towards the spawning beds ....topwater action should be getting better and better each day. Should be an awesome pre-spawn fish this year!

ANd, of course, today is the walleye opener. Lots of people out enjoying the wilderness and endless water we have. Mother Nature isn't really co-operating though - it's raining now & we're expecting 3/4 of an inch by tomorrow a.m.

The water was low for spring up until a few days ago. Now it's about average for this time of year on the chain. For those of you who always ask, the rock in the back bay is just under the water. Current, as expected, is a bit strong.

On the downside, the blackflies have started. Hopefully they'll run their course and finsih earlier than usual.

Anyway, things are looking really good for this season. Looking forward to meeting all the new people and seeing all our old friends. We're in the process of a few cabin renos - nothing major - some new flooring - new bathrooms in cabin 5 & 8.

Anyway - gotta get back to work. Maybe if I get my stuff all done I'll be able to wet a line later.....tough decision though - do I go after some tasty post spawn walleye or see if I can get some topater bass or pike action? Decisions......

Gear That I Love V2:The Red & White Daredevil

Well the snow is melting and the phone is ringing a lot more - I can tell everyone is starting to think about fishing.

I have a lot of friends that only fish walleye. Nothing wrong with that. Walleye are a lot of fun and taste great. I always was more of a multi-species type guy though, and once spring arrived and the first lines can be wet (without a hole in the ice), I often would go after northern pike.

When I was younger I casted off shore a lot. The big pike used to (and still do) spawn in our back bay. These giants would absolutely never go after any kind of bait. They were procreating and that was that. They used to drive me absolutely nuts. I could see them splashing and swimming around like sharks - I`d cast and cast and cast but to no avail - they weren`t interested.

Once they were done though - that`s when the action really started!

I`d spend hours off shore - and later in a boat catching all kinds of pike. Some smaller, but in the spring I also got lots of action from the lunkers as well.

I through all kinds of bait & tackle....Rapalas (were great but the multi prongs were a pain to get out), various Mepps, Mr Twisters, Vibratails, topwater plugs, minnows, Little Joes....but the best hands down was the red and white daredevil.

I developed a lot of my preferences by fishing a ton - often when I should have been in school. I like and use all kinds of bait and tackle, but the R&W daredevil was (is) it for me for pike fishing - my favorite (along with the Heddon Dying Flutter - but we`ll get into that in another post).

I used to be a die hard Eppinger guy - but with a limited budget I soon went to cheaper brands...Lucky Strike et al. I found I had just as much luck but it was a lot easier on the wallet when I invariably lost one on a big pike or a snag.

I got so I liked big spoons - ie 1 ounce and 3.5 inch plus. Easier to cast and also the size I seemed to get the best response from.

And leaders - yep - ya gotta have èm when pike fishing. My personal preference is 9" - I found the 6 inch a little short when in the gullet of a huge pike, and the 12 inch tended to kink on me a lot.

I started guiding on a regular basis when I was about 10 years old. We had (and still have) some great remote lakes for pike fishing and often I`d be leading groups on these often non existent trails - some 2+ miles long - for a day of pike fishing. These guiding experiences taught me a lot and kept me in tackle (and later beer!) through the eighties.

Like I said - the trails were often pretty long and pretty tough. Packing light is essential. I had a small pack...experimented with different gear - telescopic rods etc. For tackle I`d put about a dozen red and white daredevils and leaders into one of my Dad`s tobacco cans....lid on - into the pack and that was it. Ready to go. I`d laugh - so many guys were insistent on lugging these huge tackle boxes full of all kinds of different tackle....and, pretty much all the time all they used was their daredevils.

Looking back I wasn`t that bright. I wouldn`t bring pliers and after unhooking and releasing dozens of pike each day my hands were beat to crap. I experimented with cutting off one or two prongs but it killed the action of the lure. I finally got smart - pinched at least some of the barbs and brought needlenose pliers. I`m a bit of a slow learner!

The daredevil is indeed a pike killer....but it is very effective for walleye as well. I`ve caught quite a few on it. I remember a group of guys who were out fishing èyes after a day of pike fishing. All their rods were rigged with leaders and 1 ounce daredevils (they took my advise!). They had an awesome day pike fishing and were completely exhausted.....too tired to change the tackle they said -they left the daredevils and leaders on and dropped them down and jigged them near an island on the Seine and started pulling in a fair number of really nice walleye. In fact these guys were having a very hard time catching `eyes before this. You just never know....the more I see and experience in fishing the more I really believe that there are no rules.

Of course this all works for me...I swear by my 1 ounce red & white daredevils. I`m a huge believer however in WWFY - whatever works for you. It`s amazing how one thing can work terrific for one person but be completely useless for another.

Mix it up - try different tackle, bait and techniques...don`t get stuck on one thing or idea....you just never know. I really believe that.

But - when I cast for pike in a few weeks (hopefully!) - I`ll likely have a red & white daredevil on the end of my line. As much as I mix it up, I also respect what works for me.

Take care everyone....hope to see you up here this summer! Looking forward to you die hards coming up for early pike & lake trout....keep checking in with me - once the ice is out I`ll let you know! New post coming soon!

2010 Update

Wow - I can't believe it's the end of June already.....time flies - it's been very busy - one of our busiest Junes' ever - which is great!

Been a strange year - we had a very warm spring - as mentioned earlier, we had people in boats by around April 4. Usually the ice isn't even out until at least the end of April. Water levels are low - about a foot lower than usual on the Seine Chain....spawns were all early likely around 2 weeks early each.

Had some groups in during early May for pike & trout fishing. Most did very well.

The walleye opener was a little slower than usual. The week prior the 'eyes were hitting like crazy - people fishing other species threw a lot back.....the early spring & spwan moved them out of their traditional locations for opening week.

Late May & early June were overall pretty good for walleye though. Many smaller ones, but we've seen more 28" - 30" than I've ever seen - acouple 30" + already and quite a few in the 25" - 28"....still seeing lots of smaller ones though - everything from 6" - 7" - 12" - 14" +. Happy to say that the vast majority of the bigger fish were released, along with many of the smaller....

One of the big developments this year is that I've seen people bring in more perch than ever. We alwys saw the occasional one here & there, but this year the numbers were 'way up and many i the 3/4 - 1 lb range. A very nice surprise. Not sure what the implications of that are as far as what that indicates for the "big picture" on the Seine, but people are enjoying a lot of tasty yellow perch this year!

Late May & early June the smallmouth fishing was absolutely terrific. Many new groups that came asked why we don't "brag it up' more.....honestly sometimes it sounds like an exaggeration. We do say we have world class smallie fishing, but we had groups here this year that have fished at lodges that were specifically trophy smallmouth lodges and did better here - hands down. Crazy numbers and loads of trophies. They were on the topwater a little early this year, and the groups that hit that found the action almost unbelievable. By mid to late June they had already moved a little deeper, so were a little tougher to catch....BTW - Steve & deb Mitchell just left & Steve will be sending his annual smallmouth report. Last year they hit the topwater bite; this year the smallies were out a ways - a different dynamic with weather / conditions so a different type of bite for them this year. I'm looking forward to Steve's report as I know that many of you are as well.

the vast majority of the bass were released - I went weeks where people were catching loads of fish & still I never had to empty buckets from the fish house.

The pike were much less hesitant than last June when they were famous for follow ups but not actually biting. The pike bite has been pretty good this year - of course loads of smaller ones, but quite a few 40" + so far. I think we've seen more trophy pike so far this year than we have in a long time. Again - most released.

Other stuff ....

Thanks to Richard, Howie & Lenny, our docks are in better shape than they have been in a long time ....bought 1 new one - more to follow.

Also thanks to Richard, Howie, Lenny,plus wayne, Daryl & Cora we have the frame of a new fish cleaning house right by the docks. Waiting for the steel roof to come in, and, when finished, it'll be a terrific fish cleaning facility - including stainless steel counters, power otlets etc.


They've also all cleaned our grounds up in a big way - the debris from all the windfalls we've had is mostly gone....a lot better looks wise in our yard!

This will also provide a number of electrical outlets at the docks for trolling motors plus lighting for those nights that you stay out into the dark!

Howard H - mechanic extroadinaire tuned up our outboards and cleaned up our props & skegs this spring - huge help and very much appreciated by all!

Richard S has been the driving force behind these and many of the other improvements at the camp the last couple of years and we can't thank him enough! We'd be several years back in improving the camp (and our home) if it weren't for Richard. Most of the improvements over the previous season that you repeat guys notice when you come into the yard is due to Richard. Plus many things that you can't see. We owe him big time!

American Plan has been going great - very busy with the meal plan through late May & early June - hoping it continues!

BTW - many pics to come on the site www.seineriverlodge.com .....

Keep checking our Facebook page under "Branch's Seine River Lodge - starting to post lots more specific comments & pictures.

talk to y'all soon!

Spring Update

Well....it sure is a strange year.....

The spring break up came earlier this year than I ever remember.....In the past, if you were to check back through history, the date when the ice is "out" on Banning Lake (ie when you can get a boat in the water), is around April 27. We're usually ahead of land locked lakes due to the river current.

Last year the ice was out pretty much on schedule on April 27. At that point, I spewed out my predictions on how everything should be just ducky...spawns on time etc etc.....The problem was though, that it took forever for the water to warm up after that. It seemed like we were stuck in May weather through most of the summer. It was cold & wet, but overall the fishing was very good.

So, in light of last years lessons, I'll be cautious at spewing out my predictions this year. Mother Nature gave me a well deserved slap in the spring / summer of 2009 and showed me who was really boss.

This year though has been a complete exception.....we had some friends launch a boat here & go fishing on April 4!!

Daytime temperatures have been in the 70's (20's for you Celsius types). There was little run off and we basically have had no rain all for a month + . Water is low....very low for this time of year. We already have a fire ban.

Right now the pike are spawning in the back bay....that's at least 1 week, maybe as much as 2 weeks ahead of the normal time. Surface temps on the water are between 8 - 11 celsius.

This can be a good thing for our fishery....early spawns, longer growing seasons....some warm years in the past have spiked fish populations and helped produce larger fish on average.

But it's not necessarily all that simple. There is potential for more negative circumstances as well.

In this weeks Atikokan Progress, Jessica Smith wrote a fantastic article on the implications of an early spring. The effect on both the fish and the wildlife. You really should check it out... here's the link....

http://www.atikokanprogress.ca/

Anyway, we're full steam ahead for the 2010 fishing season....right now we have a group on the Namakan River, another coming in today for some bass & pike fishing on a nearby lake, and some lake trout anglers due in later this week. Although the dry weather is a huge issue, it's still terrific to be out in the boat in April fishing with just a T-shirt on....

Been great talking with y'all lately. I gotta laugh how, once the weather warms up I get a whack of phone calls / emails from people just chomping at the bit to wet a line....keep 'em coming.....and thanks to all of you who have reserved as well......we're working at improving the camp every year for you.

Further to that, we're busy getting the camp ready to open.....Cabin #3 is getting a complete facelift on the inside & some new siding on the outside. There's lots of fresh paint going on the outside of cabins.

Water will be on on most of the cabins this weekend. Doing some finishing work inside the big new cabins (ie the "classrooms").

We've ordered lumber and have made plans to start the new fish house in early May, plus we're looking at 2 new docks along with fixing up the 3 older ones....

Might not be all ready by the walleye opener next month, but will be sometime this year!

Talk to y'all soon!

Quent

Coming Soon - Fishing Season

Been getting lots of calls about ice out.....looking good - here on the Seine, the ice is 20' - 100' from shore....should be able to get a boat in next week.


Other lakes without river flow are a little further behind. I know lots of you want to get at some early lake trout & other action. I'll let you know the minute it's a go. In any event - we're 'way better off than this time last year.....should be able to get some good spring time action soon.


Just as a quick note though - the walleye opener last May was great - here's a couple of pics from "the opener '08"....




The weather was nasty - cold, windy....but the fishing - particularly the walleye was great.

Early Season Fishing

Hey Everyone,

Just a quick post...with this new format, I'm hoping to stay more current with my updates & especially photo posting.....

I'll be sharing a few stories /pics from last year...we have tons of pics to go up....2008 was one of the overall best years fishing we have seen on the Seine Chain. I even got out a lot more often (and caught a few too)....

For now though, we're really looking forward to a great 2009. Our bookings are (touch wood) looking terrific, with a very high number of old guests coming back. We have all the regulars that come up every year (sometimes twice or three times), plus a whole lot of groups that came once or twice a few years ago that all seem to be coming back this year.....

It's great having new groups come, and we're blessed with quite a few...and it's sure nice to see old friends again.

Anyway, we're hoping to kick it off this year by April 23 for some lake trout, pike & smallie fishing with the Blackwelder group from Florida. This'll mark a number of years that Earl has been up in early spring....last year we had a late ice out & it wasn't doable.

Of course, we're hoping for another early (or at least average ) ice out this year.....Anyone who's interested check in with us re: ice condditions. I know lots of you are chomping at the bit to wet the line for some great laker & pike fishing ASAP....if Mother Nature cooperates we sure will as well.

Will keep y'all posted!

Quent